Secrets of the Shadow Isles
by Dark Lord Ereshkigal
Summary: Karthus, following his passion to learn all that he can about death and the unliving, has decided to journey to the Shadow Isles to discover the secrets of undeath. Along the way, he will encounter other champions of the Shadow Isles in his dark and mysterious quest. This is based on Karthus' new Lore, and Karthus at this time is still a living human being. I DON'T OWN LEAGUE.
1. Chapter 1 - The Deathsinger's Arrival

A/N: Time for something completely different! I'm an avid League of Legends player (especially when it comes to Shadow Isles champions), so here's a little story about them. This story will be very serious compared to some of the chapters from _The Fang Lives On!_ Enjoy!

This is based on Karthus's new Lore, and at the beginning of the story he has not yet become undead.

The Secrets of the Shadow Isles

Karthus felt a chill of anticipation as he approached the ancient lands of Shadow Isles on an old, decrepit boat. Even from a distance, he could see that the Isles were completely covered in an unnatural fog, and even though it was in the middle of the day in the rest of Valoran the Shadow Isles were cloaked in perpetual darkness. It was said that all manner of undead took residence in the depths of the accursed Isles, undead who loathed the living and would attack any who dared step foot. Most sane men would have already fled in fear, or even more wisely, given the Shadow Isles a wide berth in the first place.

To Karthus, it felt like he had finally come home.

Karthus had never felt welcomed among the rest of the living. He had always been fascinated with death, and his actions in his life had reflected that fascination. At one point, he had even faked his own death and examined his own funeral from afar, just so he could experience and understand firsthand the impact that one's death had on others.

Although he had committed no crime, he found himself ostracized by the rest of his community for this last macabre action. That mattered not, for now he was ever more convinced that in death he would find comfort and solace. In the libraries of Noxus, he had learned about the Shadow Isles, the one place on Valoran where death and the undead reigned supreme.

And so he now travelled there, alone and with only the dark magic he had learned from Noxus, to this land of horrors at last. He had heard of terrible squalls and storms that besieged those who dared approach the Isles in the past, but neither the wind nor the waters made any attempt to stop him. It was almost, he mused eagerly, as though the Isles were _inviting_ him to explore their dark secrets.

As he stepped onto the shore, he saw undeath for the first time. A hulking figure, holding an ancient but sturdy shovel with a lantern attached to the rest of the body through a single strap, stood there, looking at this new arrival curiously.

"Who are you, mortal? And why do you dare to approach these Isles?" the figure asked in a guttural but not entirely hostile voice.

"I am Karthus of Valoran," Karthus replied, staring back at the figure defiantly. "I have come to the Shadow Isles to discover the secrets of death, and I have heard that there are certain...individuals…who are masters of such secrets."

"You are either extremely brave or extremely foolish, mortal," it replied. "The secrets of death are not to be trifled with, no matter how fascinated with death you may be. I have half a mind to stop you, but seeing your determination for myself I can already tell that it would be a waste of time if I tried."

The figure sighed, then continued, "If you must see this quest to the end, then seek out the master of metal, Lord Mordekaiser himself. He was the first among the undead, a master of darkness and death and one of the most powerful warriors on the Isles. He may be brutal and destructive, but he does have honor and will be honest with you so long as you show such honesty first."

Karthus nodded to show his understanding. "And where can I find this Lord Mordekaiser that you speak of?"

The figure pointed down one of the roads that led from the shore. "Mordekaiser resides in a great pit down that road. It will be easy for you to find it, and you will not need to turn off to any of the side roads that you will find along the way. When you see him, tell him that Yorick Mori sent you. That way, he will not destroy you on sight."

Karthus nodded and smiled. "I give you my thanks…Yorick."

Yorick nodded. "Before you go, I must give you a very important warning. Do not turn off the road at any point. The isles are teeming with undead, but the types of undead themselves are another story entirely. The roads are travelled by the more civilized and…reasonable…of our denizens, but off the roads foul and feral creatures lurk. Stay on the path I have shown you if you value your life. And above all, do not approach the prison of the Chain Warden."

"The prison of Thresh?" Karthus asked warily. He had heard of the terrifying chain warden of the Shadow Isles, and even he feared the sadistic and terrifying enslaver of souls.

"You will see it in the distance, but make sure you give it a wide berth. If Thresh does find you, tell him what you have just told me; it may very well save your life and your soul," Yorick finished.

"I give you my thanks once again for your warning, Yorick," Karthus replied again. "I will now make my way to Mordekaiser's Great Pit. I bid you good tidings until we meet again."

With that, Karthus picked up what few belongings he had and made his way down the road. As he vanished into the distance, Yorick shook his head at the mortal who was so eager to learn the nature of death. He picked up his shovel and slammed it into the ground. From the hole sprang a small and wiry Spectral Ghoul. Despite its seeming fraility, it was the strongest and fastest of his ghouls and therefore his favorite choice for a messenger.

"Send word to Mordekaiser," the gravedigger instructed, "and tell him of our new arrival. I think he will be most interested."

The ghoul chittered excitedly and zoomed toward the hills, carrying the news of the Shadow Isles' newest arrival.

/

A/N: I hope you guys liked it! I'm not sure how many Shadow Isles champions I will include, but I don't think all of them will be included. The only one I know for sure will be featured is Mordekaiser.

Read and review please! :D


	2. Chapter 2 - The Lost Necropolis

A/N: I don't want to leave a story completely hanging behind for months, so here's a new chapter for "Secrets of the Shadow Isles!" Just keep in mind that until I finish my Fire Emblem story, updates will most likely be few and far between.

Chapter 2 – The Lost Necropolis

Karthus journeyed on the old decrepit road, following the gravedigger Yorick's instructions. He found that the road was well-lit and almost completely deserted, save for a few ghosts and undead that occasionally crossed the sorcerer's path. Although some of them were markedly surprised at the presence of the living in a land teeming with death, for the most part they paid him little heed.

Nothing had yet attacked him or even given him a hostile glance, but Karthus could not hold back a sense of unease. As Yorick had described, the individuals who crossed the road had been mostly docile and civilized. However, in the teeming darkness and brush that lay just off the old pavement, he could sense rather than see unknown creatures lurking, ready to ambush him should he dare trespass off the safety of the lit road.

"Yorick told me that so long as I did not traverse off the path, these creatures, whatever they are, would not attack. It would be wise for me to listen to his advice," Karthus mused. Although he was fascinated with death, he did not want to experience a brutal end to his quest before it even began.

For about an hour, the sorcerer could see nothing but brush and road as he continued on his journey. Suddenly, the woods broke off to a steep but managable cliff face and Karthus could finally see into a huge valley devoid of ethereal flora.

"This…this is amazing!" Karthus gasped. For before him lay the ruins of what had once been a mighty city. In ruins, the city was clearly only a shadow of what it has once been, but Karthus could tell just by its sheer size matched that of Demacia and Noxus, the current great city-states of Runeterra. But what was truly astounding was that several blue-green lights flickered within the windows and streets of the city, as though it were still at its peak.

Briefly, Karthus considered the dangers of entering the city. The spirits could be hostile to the presence of the living, and could attempt to attack him. And even if the spirits themselves were benign, the city itself could be governed by a malevolent presence or be afflicted with a curse or disease that, while not affecting those already dead, could be quite lethal to a normal human.

In the end, however, curiosity overcame his caution. "I am not powerless," Karthus finally argued to himself. "I am a sorcerer of considerable power and a skilled practitioner of the dark arts! I can protect myself from whatever hostile force this city has to throw at me! And I cannot ignore such a discovery!"

So eager was he to explore the city below him that he had forgotten Yorick's warning. No sooner had his feet left the path, when something roared from the shadows of the forest. Realizing his mistake, Karthus whirled around to see a ghostly, skeletal lion leap from the forest towards him, claws outstretched and ready to tear him apart. Karthus did not know whether its claws would be able to tear his very soul apart or merely eviscerate him like a normal animal; either way, he did not want to find out. With reflexes that only a skilled mage could have, he summoned a magical wall between him and the lion. Although it did not stop the lion entirely, the wall significantly slowed it to the point that instead of landing directly on Karthus, it collapsed almost pitifully a short distance away. Before it could get up and resume its attack, Karthus chanted, "Vadoksog!" The ground exploded underneath the lion, which roared in pain and rage. Karthus kept casting the spell until, finally, the spirit of the lion dissipated and its skeleton collapsed into dust.

"Fool!" Karthus chastised himself furiously. "Did you forget Yorick's warning so quickly? One mistake and that's the end!" Determined not to make a similar mistake, he quickly scouted out a path that led into the depths of the city and followed it down.

Once he had reached the outskirts, he could now see the details of the city more clearly. As it turned out, the glow that he had seen afar had come not from lanterns or torches, but from the spectral glow of the spirits themselves. Karthus was surprised to see the ghosts and skeletons engage in seemingly trivial actions such as chatting, bartering ghostly jewelry on decaying stone stands, and playfully jousting each other with ancient-looking swords. He could even hear laughter from inside one of the larger buildings.

"It is almost like a city filled with the living!" Karthus mused. "I believe I was right after all. Undeath truly is the greatest form of existence!"

In his ponderings, he did not notice one of the spirits slowly approach him until they were looking at each other face-to-face. _"Who are you and why have you come to these isles, mortal?"_ it rasped.

Showing no fear, Karthus looked the specter directly in the eye. "My name is Karthus of Valoran," the sorcerer responded evenly. "I have come to the Shadow Isles to learn the secrets of undeath from Mordekaiser."

The spirit laughed humorlessly. _"What makes you think Lord Mordekaiser will deign to speak to you, mortal? He is a ruler among the dead, and you are nothing to him. In fact, I would not be surprised if he decided to crush you to a pulp for your insolence."_

"Ah," Karthus interrupted, a grin stretching across your face, "but the gravedigger Yorick seemed to have other ideas."

The spirit raised an eyebrow slightly. "_Hmm…"_ it mused, pondering this new bit of information, "_I was not aware that you had spoken to the gravedigger before. He is a well-respected figure among us, and he and Lord Mordekaiser are as close to friends as the undead can become. Perhaps your cause is not as lost as I had previously surmised…"_

Suddenly, the spirit tensed, a mixture of shock and fear spreading across its ghostly face. He was not alone; all around him, Karthus could see the spirits he had seen earlier fleeing either into the buildings or into the earth, while the undead skeletons collapsed onto the ground and dissolved.

"What is happening?" Karthus asked the remaining spirit. He could no longer hide his own fear; what force could terrify those already dead?

_"Woe upon us all!" _the spirit cried. _"The warden is coming! You will almost certainly attract his attention as the only living mortal here! If he catches you, you are doomed!"_

"Thresh…" Karthus whispered the name. There was no more explanation needed. "What should I do?" he asked the spirit urgently.

_"Hide into any of the buildings you see here. The spirits will shelter you; they do not wish to see Thresh claim another soul for his own. Quickly! There is very little time!"_ And with those final words, the spirit fled into the woods where Karthus had originally come from.

Karthus frantically looked around. A large, stone structure that looked almost like a palace caught his eye. Not wasting any time, he dived into the building and hid behind a pillar.

And not a moment to soon.

The sound of clinking chains reached the sorcerer's ears, a sound that chilled his very soul. As he peeked from the pillar, he witnessed, to his horror, a green-flamed, demonic creature walking down the main street of the city. He wore the uniform of a prison warden, although the uniform had been outfitted with metal and black mail. All around him were locks and chains, the keys clutched tightly in the warden's hand. In his right hand he carried a glowing sickle, in his left a lantern that glowed with a light the same color as the specters he had seen.

But what were most terrifying were the prisoners. Behind the warden followed many hapless souls trapped in eternal enslavement, bound either by spectral cuffs or the heavy chains themselves. Some whimpered while others wailed in fear, but there would be no help coming to them. For the warden had captured them, and now they were subject to his whim.

Thresh himself hummed a tune that would have been a merry children's rhyme, had it not been for his demonic voice and the verses of his song:

_"Drag the chains, drag the chains, with all the strength you may! Drag the chains, drag the chains, 'ere they drag you away! Cling, clang, go the chains, there's no more time for fear! Cling, clang, the last sound that you'll HEAR!"_

Shouting the last word, the warden burst out into shrill laughter that was even more terrifying than his song. Karthus did not dare to breathe until the warden and his line of prisoners had disappeared from sight.

Only when he was sure they were gone did he dare to breathe. "That was a close one!" he muttered aloud. "I must remember to thank that spirit for his help if I ever find him again. At least now I am safe."

_"What makes you think you are safe, mortal?" _a booming voice growled behind him.

Very slowly, Karthus turned to look behind him. And almost had a heart attack after he had done so.

Before him stood a towering creature, flickering with blue flames and clad in demonic armor. A monstrous face contemptuously stared down at him from a single-spiked helm, eyes filled with malice.

_"You may have escaped the chains of the warden, but in doing so you have trespassed into my domain!"_ Hecarim snarled, hands tightening over his glaive. _"And I assure you, here you are anything but safe!"_

/

A/N: A cliffhanger! I'm evil, aren't I? :D

Sorry if the descriptions of Thresh and Hecarim are redundant to you, but keep in mind that Karthus has not yet actually seen these champions yet, since it is his first time here.

Sorry if you didn't like if this chapter was leaning towards the "horror" genre, even though the story itself is not horror the Shadow Isles themselves have that unavoidable horror element and this story would lose all meaning if I had not incorporated it at some point.

The spells that Karthus cast when facing the lion were indeed based on his Q and W, although he has not learned E or his infamous ult since he isn't that powerful yet. By the way, "Vadoksog" means "execute" in the Black Speech of Mordor, according to a website I found that translated English to the Black Speech. Just in case you were curious :)


End file.
